Fascination
by Kotego
Summary: Twilight Sparkle is greeted with a surprise to find that Discord has not been completely defeated. But his intentions upon reawakening are nothing she ever expected.
1. Chapter 1

The rainbow ray of light burst from all six ponies and ascended above them and a dumbfounded Discord. The light was nearly blinding, but Discord couldn't avert his eyes from it. As it began to curve into an arch he realized in dismay that it plummeted straight for him.

The multi-beast had to act quickly. He raised his arms with his own lighting of power forming around his paw and claw. As the rainbow finally descended upon Discord his own powers contrasted with the multi-color ray threatening to ruin everything he had worked for! He cringed from the burst of magic surrounding him.

It was powerful – he would give the ponies that. But Discord was not willing to return to his stony prison so soon.

However, he noticed that Ponyville was changing already. The chocolate rain ceased as cotton candy clouds disappeared into thin air. The dancing oxen and long-legged rabbits returned to normal. Houses that were floating upside down returned to their right-side up positions.

_No_! This couldn't be happening! Chaos and disharmony had barely begun to wreak havoc all over Equestria, and these six ponies with their precious _friendship_ were defeating him. He returned his full attention to the rainbow encompassing him when he felt that stony presence looming over his form.

No, no, no, no, _no_. Discord would not allow this!

He glared at the leading pony; she wore the crown of magic and bore a determined expression. Twilight Sparkle . . .

It would have been nice to continue his little games with that unicorn. Admittedly Twilight was a little difficult to manipulate like Discord did with all her little friends. So easy to make Applejack a pathological liar – Rarity a greedy hoarder – Pinkie Pie an angry grouch – Fluttershy a cruel fiend – and Rainbowdash a disloyal deserter.

But with Twilight, it was a long while before she became a hollow shell of herself –friendless . . . hopeless . . .

Yet strong and determined till the end . . .

Discord was ripped from his thoughts when the stony presence strengthened. He felt panic, despite trying to keep calm and repel their magic. But that cursed presence just grew and grew until Discord was aghast to see his feet graying into stone.

He concentrated harder, but the stone travelled up – to his tail and eventually snaking to his middle. And it didn't stop. Soon his wings were stoned, and his arms were slowly following suit. In a matter of seconds he would be out of power and once again trapped within a stony prison.

Discord cursed under his breath, but he decided he had only one option left. He trained his magic away from the rainbow and to himself. A thin layer of transparent energy surrounded him for a split second – and then he turned into a stone statue completely.

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><p>Twilight Sparkle felt somewhat conflicted as she gazed at the statue. Discord stood in a similar position from his previous prison, before he managed to escape and engulf Equestria in chaos and disharmony.<p>

However his arms were extended, as if in a silent plea of mercy. On one hoof Discord didn't deserve a second chance considering his crimes just a few hours ago _and_ for what he had done many years ago; not to mention he had nearly destroyed her friendship with all the others. But . . . on the other hoof did Discord really do such terrible harm as to deserve imprisonment within the stony confines once again? Sure, he had done pranks, some that were a little bit harmful, but possibly all in good fun and humor – a twisted sense of humor, yes, but he could have done a whole lot worse.

Twilight allowed herself a half-smile in spite of the solemn aura around her as a result of nearly losing her friendship permanently to this beast. Pinkie Pie sure did enjoy the chocolate rain and the cotton candy clouds. In some ways you had to wonder if that was such a terrible thing; well, it disrupted the circle of life that Equestria relied upon for stability, but one had to admit, such a strange occurrence was . . . funny.

Then she shook her head. No, what was she thinking? No matter what humor Discord had intended to unleash upon Equestria, allowing such a topsy-turvy spell to twist everything in existence was wrong.

"Why am I even standing before you?" she asked aloud, mainly to herself, but also as if Discord may actually break free of his statue form again and reply with some humorous retort.

She gazed at his statue with an impassive expression. Perhaps he wasn't trying to cause intentional harm like Nightmare Moon could have done if they hadn't turned her back into Luna. But was that still excusable? Making everything chaotic and erratic like it was all some annoying joke?

Twilight sighed. Well, she certainly wasn't going to get any answers by standing in front of a dormant Discord. Not that she would receive answers anyhow. She _should_ just put this all behind her and enjoy her renewed friendship with the others.

Twilight turned to leave and trotted away. As she left, she spared one last look over her shoulder at Discord. _Maybe_ he wasn't all that bad. But she supposed it was all in the past now.

She looked away and continued walking back to her friends that were probably enjoying themselves back in Ponyville. Twilight had taken it upon herself to return the Elements of Harmony to Celestia personally. She didn't know why she decided to take a short detour to the gardens and view Discord's statue.

Then there was a crack.

Twilight looked behind her shoulder again to see the statue remaining. It was odd; she could have sworn she heard something from behind. There was no other pony here, so that could only mean . . . Twilight laughed. Of course not!

Despite the small discomfort from the strange sound, Twilight averted her gaze again. As she began to exit the gardens, she noticed a shadow looming over her. The unicorn froze, eyes widening in disbelief at the shadow's length and size.

"You know, I believe that's the first time I've ever heard you laugh."

Twilight turned around dramatically and gasped as Discord – broken out of his stone prison – floated over her. He smiled smugly, as if all of these events were already predestined.

In her surprise Twilight fell over with a small shout. Discord merely looked amused and he edged a little closer.

"W-What?" Twilight snapped when she regained her footing. She backed away from Discord, but began pondering ways to escape and warn Celestia that Discord had somehow broken free. Speaking of which . . . "_How_ did you break free? Our magic should have –"

"Silly Twilight, do you honestly think I would have allowed you ponies to imprison me after I just escaped not too long ago? Yes, you took me off guard with your little 'powers of friendship' – or whatever you call it – but I'm certainly more resourceful than you think!" His voice was flippant and almost eerily joyful, like he sounded when he actually managed to unleash his chaos over Equestria for a short time. Some things never change apparently.

But Twilight did notice one change from the last time she and Discord confronted each other. All around her, the gardens were normal. No unorthodox weather patterns, no sudsy ground, no sudden shift between night and day . . . Everything was still _normal_.

Discord noticed Twilight's realization and replied less enthusiastically, "Unfortunately, in order for me to break free once you imprisoned me, I had to train the rest of my power to shielding myself from a permanent imprisonment." A terrible fact that Discord was unhappy about, despite he didn't really show it.

But then again, upon his reawakening he was greeted with a most pleasant surprise. How strange of Twilight – of all ponies – to come "visit" his statue. Perhaps he could start his own little interrogation about her intentions – but with an opportunity to be alone with a rather _fascinating_ pony, he thought he should make better of his time.

Twilight shook her head in disbelief. "So, you are . . . powerless?"

Discord rolled his eyes. "Why yes, I'm _soooooo_ completely powerless – that's why I'm floating around," he replied sarcastically. Then he smirked. "Y'see, I can do many things, _but_ not on such a wonderfully grand scale as I had done earlier." He snapped his fingers and Twilight found herself floating until she was level with Discord. "Like this."

Twilight raised a brow. "Then . . . what _do_ you want?"

Her quizzical look made Discord's grin grow wider.

"If you _really_ want to know . . ." He cupped her chin gently. "You _fascinate_ me. I honestly haven't seen such magical power since Celestia, even though you bottle all of yours up within the confines of simple potential that you won't approach. And of course that's nearly nothing compared to that will power of yours."

Twilight was speechless. Did Discord just . . . compliment her? And not just compliment, but . . . describe her as something she'd never seen herself as . . . it was flattering, admittedly.

Then she frowned. This must be one of Discord's mind tricks.

"Your tricks aren't going to work this time Discord." She used her own magic to break Discord's hold and allowed herself to gently descend back to the ground.

The multi-beast gasped dramatically in mock-insult. "Me? Mind games? I would never!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You said it yourself – you don't have the power to affect Equestria anymore. You will gain nothing from trying to manipulate me."

"'Manipulate' is a _harsh_ word," he replied with a drawl. "And besides, I'm not playing any mind games right now. I'm rather . . . partaking in casual conversation." Discord lowered himself until he stood like a regular whatever-he-was, now standing a head higher than Twilight.

"Well I'm _not_." Twilight backed away. "In fact I should be telling Celestia all about this now."

Discord snaked around Twilight and she was surrounded by his long body. "Don't be such a killjoy. I just said I wanted to talk."

"And I just said that I don't."

Suddenly she found the snake-like body closing in until it gently constricted around her. Twilight was trapped, but not in any real danger. She only glared at Discord, while he smirked that same old smirk that was starting to get on her nerves.

"_Stop_ staring at me. I don't see what you've to be so happy about, anyway. Your powers are weakened, I can easily run away, and it won't be much effort to use the Elements of Harmony on you again."

To her chagrin Discord's smirk grew wider. "First, I'm not _staring_, I'm admiring. Second, I'm simply happy to be free once again. And third, all of this is true, but you won't do that, will you?"

"_Admiring_?" Twilight mentally slapped herself for asking so dumbly.

Discord nodded. "I admire your power – I admire _you_, silly unicorn."

Twilight shook her head again. "What makes you think I won't inform Celestia and round up the Elements?"

"Well, I'd say you're not _exactly_ in a position to do that, but I won't. Instead I'll say that it would be fantastic if you stayed."

"And yet you really haven't even told me _why_. I'm afraid simple compliments aren't good enough of an answer," she sighed. Twilight had to admit that he was somewhat right. He wasn't threatening anyone or anything, so was it truly necessary to run away and trap him in stone again?

But of course he could be lying about everything. Twilight decided it'd be beneficial to stay and learn about Discord's "drain of power" before fleeing.

Discord paused a moment to think about her words and then replied, "You're right, how rude of me!" He cleared his throat dramatically before continuing, "What if I told you that you caught my attention during your silly little quest?"

Twilight furrowed her brow. "That _still_ doesn't explain –"

"Fine," he sighed in mock-annoyance, "I'll get to the point."

Twilight looked unimpressed with Discord's "explanation" so far – but his next action took her off guard. In one quick motion the multi-beast leaned down and _kissed_ Twilight gently on her lips.

Immediately Twilight stepped back – backing away from the multi-beast until she bumped into another statue near them. Her eyes were widened, and she couldn't find her voice. She couldn't feel her legs. Silence reigned over the whole garden for a long while, with Discord impassively waiting for some sort of answer.

He received it sooner than he thought. Twilight shook her head to clarify if she was dreaming; she wasn't, and it scared her. Finally she found the feeling in her legs and she ran – out of the garden, out of this crazy encounter, out of Equestria and back to the safety of Ponyville where everything would start making sense again.

While such a reaction was expected, Discord couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

But oh well. He was fairly certain she'd come around eventually.


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, after many viewers bugging me for another chapter, I caved in and here you go. Enjoy it dammit so I may rest and update a million years later. :I_

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><p>Twilight wasn't sure what was crazier: the fact that Discord kissed her – right on the lips, too! – or that she had willingly stayed for the most part until the former action coaxed her into running away. She looked behind only once as she ran as fast as she could, and it slightly calmed her that Discord was not directly behind her. She still had to be on her guard, though, since he may be bound to pop up randomly later on.<p>

But as the unicorn ran out of the city, the multi-beast never showed himself in the boisterous manner that he usually did. Twilight half-expected a soapy ground to form under her hooves (assuming Discord had enough power to accomplish that), but she was met with no sort of resistance.

While this was assuring, Twilight still felt a little anxious. Considering Discord's erratic behavior she could never really take her guard down, could she? And . . . the multi-beast certainly made his point when he tried to explain his sudden "fascination" for her . . .

"Oh why me?" she asked herself. Twilight didn't stop until she felt safe enough to teleport back to Ponyville. Despite using the magic for such a long distance was strenuous, Twilight figured it would be best if she could leave the city as soon as possible and run into the caring circle of friends.

Once she skidded to a halt, Twilight concentrated on her magic and, in a matter of seconds, she returned to a familiar town, soon to be surrounded by familiar faces. But, in spite of that, Twilight cautiously trotted into the center of the town.

Almost immediately there was a squeal of excitement. Twilight turned to the source: a pink pony came rushing to her faster than she had time to react. Pinkie Pie skidded to a halt directly in front of Twilight. Her tail wagged boisterously and she shouted, "Twilight! You're back!"

Twilight noticed four other ponies trotting less enthusiastically to her and the pink ball of laughter now hugging her nearly till strangulation.

"Well howdy there, Twi," Applejack greeted when Pinkie Pie finally backed off into a normal stance. The others surrounded Twilight, leaving some space when the purple pony appeared to be overwhelmed with her greeting. "About time you got back, don't ya think?"

The others nodded in agreement. "Surely returning the Elements didn't take you _that_ long?" Rarity persisted playfully.

Twilight felt a little uneasy by their observations, but tried her best not to show it. "Sorry, girls, I got a little . . . sidetracked."

"Really?" Fluttershy asked timidly. "You didn't get overwhelmed by other ponies trying to meet you, did you?"

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly, "No way! Twilight can handle that sort of stuff – not that adoring ponies is such a _bad _thing."

Everyone else rolled their eyes. "Honestly, girls," said Twilight, "I wasn't overwhelmed or anything." Twilight slightly bit her lip at the half-lie. If being "courted" (or whatever Discord may call it) by a multi-beast that had just sprung out of his stony prison wasn't overwhelming, then nothing was. And besides . . . Twilight was never really fond of lies, regardless of what she was hiding.

But . . . should she tell her friends about what had happened? Would they even believe her – or laugh in her face like it was all some sort of joke for the sake of lightening the day with laughter when earlier had been more melancholy? Twilight doubted they would _want_ to believe Discord was still roaming free.

At the thought, Twilight couldn't help but look around her in case the multi-beast managed to sneak his way into Ponyville. Her friends noticed the odd gesture and they looked in various directions as if they might spot something out of the ordinary. But nothing was strange about their Ponyville and its inhabitants. Well, things were often "strange" around here, but that's beside the point.

"Um, is something wrong?" Pinkie Pie asked when she was finished observing. She tilted her head to the side to show her concern.

Twilight, realizing the attention she'd unintentionally gained, froze in place and replied stiffly, "No, everything's fine." She forced herself to calm down as she continued, "I guess I'm just a little tired . . . and I was also expecting Spike to show up with a note from Princess Celestia. She said she'd send me one once I returned."

Her friends didn't appear convinced, but upon silent mutual agreement they didn't press on the issue. After all, the purple pony _did_ look tired; and Twilight truthfully was. Journeying to return the Elements, confronting Discord, and using her teleportation spell had taken a toll on her.

"Okey dokey," Pinkie Pie replied without her usual luster, which added to Twilight's unease. The last thing she needed was worrying her friends.

Twilight hastily excused herself and trotted toward her house. As she stepped inside and closed the door, she breathed a hefty sigh of relief. At least she didn't receive any more surprises when she returned to Ponyville.

But another thought crept into her mind. What was she to do now that Discord had broken free? Despite she saw no mischief around her during their little conversation, Twilight worried that her silence would bear dire consequences. Should she warn Celestia? Should she wait until something out of the ordinary would happen before she stepped forward and explained what she knew?

"_Why_ me?"

"Something the matter, Twilight?" Spike asked as he walked down the stairs.

Twilight wore a fake smile when he came down. She tried to appear as least troubled as possible. "No, Spike . . . I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

"I suppose you are. It must have been a long day." Spike, like her friends, didn't look convinced. "I hope you enjoyed your time in the gardens."

Twilight widened her smile. "Oh, I did –" Then she stopped. "How did you know I went to the gardens?"

Spike answered with a sly-looking smirk. And just as Twilight could figure out who it was, the small dragon's appearance disintegrated, immediately replaced by the one beast she did _not_ want to see again in one day.

"Discord!" she gasped.

The multi-beast smiled pleasantly. "You know, your house has a quite lovely interior. Granted, a little bit of chaos would do it some justice." At a snap of his fingers dozens of books from random places on the shelves slid out of their places and hovered over the two occupants. While some of them remained hovered from one end of the room to the other, others opened up and a wild amount of confetti burst out (with comical sounds to boot), showering down on a near-distraught Twilight.

The unicorn gazed open-mouthed at the odd spectacle for a moment until she shook her head and flashed a stern look at Discord. "What have you done with Spike?" she demanded, stamping a hoof down to emphasize her seriousness.

Discord merely rolled his eyes. "I've done nothing, dear little Twilight. He's upstairs, sleeping like a baby dragon." Despite his delight in the book party going on around them, he summoned a distorted umbrella and positioned it above Twilight in redeeming with her lack of amusement.

Twilight's frown deepened. "What are you doing here? You _must_ be aware that you will probably get caught sooner or later."

Discord gasped in mock-admiration. "Aw, how kind of you to fear for my safety!"

"This isn't funny, Discord. Who knows what will happen if you're discovered. _I_ could get in trouble – they might think I'm harboring you!"

"What would lead them to think that if they're not even aware I'm free?" At last he snapped his fingers and the confetti stopped falling; the books closed and returned to their normal spots once again.

Twilight didn't answer at first, but instead thought about his reply. Apparently he made no attempt to reveal his freedom to Canterlot and the rest of Equestria, which meant no one was aware. But that didn't mean some pony could come into her house and stumble upon Discord. Twilight would get in trouble for sure!

But, what if she reported to Celestia herself? Twilight frowned in guilt; in spite of who Discord was, the thought of exposing him didn't feel so right . . . not after she contemplated back at the gardens. And Discord didn't mean any harm this time, right? As displayed earlier, he still has some magic, but it hardly affected the harmony of Ponyville, if at all; well, it certainly affected Twilight's harmony, but that wasn't a part of the big picture.

"Pondering again, I see," said Discord casually. He slowly floated toward the front door. "Well, I suppose you've made your point in not wanting me here, so I guess I'll just be off."

"No!" Twilight cried automatically. Quicker than she had ever run before, Twilight zoomed straight in front of him before he could reach the door. "You can't!"

"But I thought you –"

"Well I changed my mind," she replied in agitation. She concluded everything would be better off if no one knew but her; at least until she figured out what to do. Though she had yet to decide if Spike should know, considering he lived here as well and he'd most likely come across Discord sooner or later.

"You're staying here, whether you like it or not," Twilight declared.

Discord seemed pleased with this result and nodded in agreement. "I'm so glad you finally see the light." He flew away from the door and back to where he had first appeared. "And besides, now you get another roommate."

"_Great_." Twilight paused. Then she replied, "If you're going to stay here, then I suppose Spike needs to know too. And that he needs to keep his mouth shut."

"Oh, a surprise? I _love_ surprises!" At that he disappeared in a flash of light.

For a split-second Twilight's jaw dropped and she feared he might've gone upstairs to scare the scales off of Spike. The unicorn ran to the second floor at the same miraculous speed and made it to her room to see that Discord hadn't awoken Spike. She sighed and trotted to her sleeping companion.

She flashed Discord a look of gratitude and said quietly, "Now please don't scare him. Spike can be . . . loud."

"To quote Pinkie Pie," Discord replied in a melodramatic, yet whispering tone, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

Twilight nodded and gently prodded Spike in his side. The baby dragon slightly moaned upon his awakening and drearily blinked his eyes opened. "Huh, Twilight . . ? What time is it?"

"Uh, Spike, I need you to meet someone." Spike, being only half-awake, nodded without fully understanding what she meant. "You're going to be surprised at who it is, but _please_ do not shout or scream or anything that will attract attention. I'll explain everything."

"Um, okay." Twilight motioned for Spike to look behind him where Discord would be waiting, and Twilight hoped he wouldn't do anything to frighten Spike. However when Spike looked behind, both him and Twilight saw no one. Spike looked back at his unicorn friend in confusion. "Is our new friend invisible or something?"

"Not quite!" Spike's blanket slid from under him, knocking him over and out of his bed, and the fabric coiled around him. The top of the blanket formed into Discord's face and he laughed maniacally. Spike, ironically true to his word, only fainted, without making a sound.

When the baby dragon was unconscious, Discord formed into his normal form and laughed heartily. Regardless of the noise they must be making, Twilight snapped, "You swore not to scare him!"

"And yet," he replied sardonically with a smirk, "I needn't hope to fly."


	3. Chapter 3

Didn't I tell ya'll I'd take a ridiculous amount of time to update this? :U So please enjoy this one.

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><p>Discord's reintroduction, as expected but hoped against, had been far more disastrous. Twilight had to use her magic to hold Spike back multiple times to keep him from reaching the door and screaming of Discord's return to all of Ponyville. However, Spike eventually calmed down, allowing Twilight to carefully explain her reasoning behind hiding Discord from the world.<p>

It took some convincing (and maybe a tiny bit of a good-humored threat from Discord), but Spike finally agreed to keep the secret. He didn't like the idea, though, and he felt no qualm in showing it whenever he came face-to-face with Discord. But the draconequus only smiled in amusement, which continued to fan the flames of Spike's irritability toward the whole situation.

"Do we _have_ to keep this a secret?" Spike whined to Twilight when they managed to find the increasingly raring time alone without Discord's presence. He was certainly a boisterous and social one!

"Yes," Twilight replied firmly, despite her obvious distaste in her own plan. "I need to figure out what to do, and right now, alerting Ponyville doesn't seem like a good idea."

"I don't see why." Spike folded him arms and looked behind his shoulder in case Discord was silently waiting behind him to do whatever stupid prank he had up his sleeve next. "I mean, you beat him before, can't you do it again?"

"Well, first of all, Discord got out. Which leads to second of all: he hardly has any power left; and it's become pretty apparent he's telling the truth. It just doesn't feel _right_ to attack him now when – well, when he's not really causing any chaos."

Spike frowned. "If he's not a threat, then how come we're hiding him?"

"Because I doubt every other pony will feel the same way, especially considering everything that's happened recently."

". . . Then how come _you_ feel that way?"

Twilight opened her mouth to give her retort, but then she stopped. Honestly, even _she_ wasn't sure why.

Why should she be lenient on someone who was just about to turn Equestria into a chaotic nightmare?

Before Spike could ask about her sudden silence, the source of his irritation entered the room via teleportation and excitedly declared, "My, this is a _lovely_ abode! Very spacious – though rather bland – and absolutely _perfect_ for Quinceañeras!"

"Quincean-what-a?" Spike asked.

Discord snapped his fingers and their home was suddenly covered in party decorations. Before Twilight could protest she found herself in an overly-stylized dress. In spite of what Discord had done, Spike was unable to hold in his laughter.

"Sorry, Twilight, but you look pretty funny!"

Discord hovered next to the baby dragon with a smirk of approval and replied, "I aim to please."

Twilight glared at Spike, prompting him to shut his mouth (though attempting to hold in his giggles) and then shot her look at Discord. "Change me – and the house – back."

The multi-beast pouted, but snapped his fingers anyway. In a split-second the decorations and dress were gone. "Party-pooper," Discord said dejectedly.

"Please," said a very frustrated Twilight, "just stop doing things out of random. It's not very amusing, and it could attract attention."

Discord rolled his eyes. "I can assure you that I didn't decorate the outside of your home, though it would have looked _fabulous_ if I did."

"It doesn't matter. When Ponies realize there's unfamiliar magic going on in my home, they'll ask questions."

"And just answer that you're trying something new. It's not that hard, hon."

"_Don't_ call me that. And . . . I hate to lie to them like that."

Discord shrugged nonchalantly. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

"It'll hurt _me_."

"You'll get over it. Your strength is unbelievably stubborn."

Twilight was unable to determine if that remark was intended to be an insult or a compliment (or maybe even a mixture of both), but she still felt rather flattered by it anyway. It was about time Discord recognized the potential in others, she thought triumphantly.

Then she yawned mightily. She looked at the clock. _'Nearly past midnight.'_ With a frown Twilight was sure she was going to be a little crabby tomorrow for lack of sleep. Fortunately this type of morning wasn't uncommon in her lifestyle, so her friends wouldn't suspect that there was more going on in her home than they knew. The feeling of guilt ate at her; she said she didn't want to lie, and yet she was still withholding the truth. Wasn't that just as bad?

She shook her head and announced to the other two residents of the house, "Well, I'm certainly ready for sleep. Care to join me?"

Spike nodded enthusiastically, though Discord feigned a look of distaste. "Meh, what happens in the dream world isn't _nearly_ as fun as what happens in reality."

The little dragon raised a brow. "Funny, I thought you'd be the type of guy who would _love_ dreaming."

"Why would I dream when I have the real world to pursue? In spite of my lack in powers, I can still bend reality to my will – to an extent, of course, but it's certainly something worth more than what only happens in your mind!"

"That's rather . . . deep," Twilight mused aloud. Honestly she didn't expect this behavior from Discord. To call him stupid would be crude and too assuming, but . . . she just didn't take him for someone who actually stopped to _think_. Granted, he probably acted before thinking anyway.

"I guess I'm still full of surprises." Discord smirked, flashing Twilight that same expression from when he had admitted to having . . . attraction toward her; oh, dear Equestria, that sounded odd. Twilight frowned in disapproval and stomped up the stairs.

"Fine," she replied. "Stay awake if you want. Just don't cause any trouble."

"No promises!" was all she heard as she flopped onto her bed. She was already half asleep and couldn't care enough to feel absolute dread from his reply.

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><p>Twilight Sparkle was almost afraid to fully awaken that morning. As she opened her eyes, the pony half-wondered if Discord's appearance last night had just been a dream; a very <em>vivid<em> dream. However deep down she was aware of the argument apparently going on between Spike and their uninvited guest.

With a groan she pulled herself out of bed and plodded downstairs to break up the quarrel before something regretful would occur. She came to her living room to see Spike trying valiantly to stop Discord from snagging books from off the shelf, peeking through their pages, and throwing them over his shoulder in disinterest.

"Honestly, aren't there any books here that have something to do with anything _other_ than magic and princess fairytales?" He observed other shelves with condescension.

"Hey! Those are Twilight's books! If you have a – stop throwing them around! – if you have a problem, then just leave!" Spike ran behind the multi-beast as he caught as many of the discarded books as possible and gently set them aside for reorganization later.

Twilight cleared her throat loudly and caught the attention of both Spike and Discord. Spike sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness! I didn't want to wake you, so I thought I'd just deal with this big bully myself. But _he_ won't listen to a word I say!" Spike poked his finger into Discord's side, earning an amused smirk from the other.

"I'm doing her a favor," he declared. He turned his attention to Twilight and continued enthusiastically, "I'm only going through the boring books."

Twilight grimaced. "None of them are boring to me."

Discord raised a bushy brow. "Then you have quite a narrow taste. No adventurous tales of chaos, no silly satires containing even the wackiest stories – absolutely nothing that's really worth reading!" He feigned distress as he mourned, "My dear, dear Twilight Sparkle, what a bland life you must live! At least when you're cooped up in this rackety abode."

He hovered to Twilight's side before she could object to his criticizing. "Say, that's a great idea! Let us exit this place and venture out into Ponyville!"

Twilight shook her head. "Absolutely _not_. At best you'll annoy everyone – at worst the whole town will be in a panic that you've returned."

Discord looked confused. "And . . ?"

Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. She swore that she was talking to a _child_! "And that will be _bad_."

"How so? Screaming, running ponies all scattering around? Sounds like real entertainment to me!"

"That's just awful, Discord."

"No, awful is actually using violence to provoke such entertainment. Something I won't do."

"Really, now?"

"I'm a lot of things, dearie, but 'cruel' is not one of them." Twilight was slightly taken aback by the serious tone Discord assumed in that sentence. "Perhaps I can prove that to you – if you would let me roam about in this little town (and cause only _minimum _chaos, I assure you)." Despite the latter sentence contained the same old flippant tone, Twilight furrowed her brow.

'_Maybe . . . he really does like me enough to prove himself . . .'_

Twilight decided not to dwell on it any longer; and instead focus on the increasingly-likeable decision to exit the house. With Discord taking refuge, her home suddenly felt so much smaller and . . . dull, admittedly (compared to Discord's momentary modifications). She had no craving for reading or spells, and there _were_ some errands she needed to run. Spike would be the logical choice to send, but Twilight wanted out of her house, and to at least grant Discord the chance at the road to redemption.

Then a thought occurred to her. She never thought ahead as to what would become of Discord if he remained with her for however long she could manage to hide him, but the likely scenario in her mind involved the re-stoning of the draconequus. The scenario left a bitter taste on her tongue.

_But_, perhaps this could be a better opportunity. Though this would most likely involve manipulation of Discord's feelings for Twilight (whether they were truly genuine was still in question), perhaps she could have him turn over a new leaf. With his lack of power guaranteeing no harm, maybe integrating Discord into society wouldn't be such a far-fetched idea!

Suddenly Twilight felt rather giddy at the idea. She could do the unthinkable! She could take on a real challenge and come out victorious!

Discord smirked and cocked a bushy brow. "Excited to meet your gal pals?" he teased.

His remark didn't faze Twilight and she replied, "Actually, I am. And you can go with me."

The multi-beast actually looked surprised. "Wow, and here I thought I would need to convince you for hours before you agreed. I guess I'm just _that_ good."

Twilight rolled her eyes, though rather good-naturedly. "Can you turn into a pony?"

Discord feigned disbelief. "Hon, I can turn into a stained-glass window, a butterfly – even a _balloon_. Surely you don't think a _pony_ is a difficult feat?" He scoffed at the idea and laughed. "Silly, silly filly!"

"You're _really_ going to take him _outside_?" Twilight hardly realized Spike's presence until his horror-stricken outburst.

She nodded with an expression of determination. "Yes. For now, he can be a pony . . . a new pony settling into Ponyville, and I'll be the 'guide'. When every other pony is comfortable with him, then we can reveal who he is."

Both Spike and Discord tilted their heads in confusion. "You're _serious_?" Spike asked. "You _want_ him to stay?"

With that Discord smirked triumphantly. "I must be that wonderful. Apparently Twilight has realized she needs more amusement in her life, and I'm just the draconequus to provide it!"

"I'm giving you a second chance," Twilight stated firmly. "You don't deserve it, but neither do you deserve to be forced into a statue again. So the former is our only option."

Discord still appeared triumphant. "Just admit it, sweetie, I'm quite an influence over you."

"Mainly a _negative_ one."

"Oh, you wound me so!" The multi-beast stiffened and fell over as if he had been wounded. "However will I go on?"

"Come on, Discord. The sooner we start this, the easier it should be." Twilight turned to Spike. "Would you like to come?"

The baby dragon pondered for a moment, looking between Twilight and Discord, and then sighed. "Fine, I guess. You'll need help with your errands anyway."

Twilight smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Spike. You're a wonderful assistant."

He beamed with the praise and merrily jumped to the door. Twilight followed with a slow trot, looking at Discord out of the corner of her eye.

Once he quit his melodramatic charade, he stood up and quickly transformed. His long body shortened significantly, his legs turned into a consistent shape of pony hooves, his tail turned into a white, bushy clump of hair; his primary color took on the hue of his tan fur, his mane resembled that of the mohawk that ran down his neck, his ears shortened, his eyes still looked a little crazed, and he still wore his beard. However, the biggest change of all was his face: it resembled a male pony's, with a slightly irregular horn jutting out of his forehead. Discord looked over his form, showing signs of approval; he removed the tooth and the wings from the form before finally nodding and joining Twilight.

"Impressive, eh?" he mused with a waggle of his bushy eyebrows.

Twilight had to admit that even she probably wouldn't know this was Discord if she was ignorant of the situation. His size was proportionate with Big Mac and his large eyeballs instilled very little intimidation. It was a nice appearance, Twilight thought. Not that she'd admit it to Discord . . .

"It'll suffice." Then her eyes roamed down to Discord's body and noticed a cutie mark planted onto the thigh. It was a question mark. "What's with that cutie mark?"

Discord looked at it himself casually. He shrugged. "I didn't know what to use so I just put that there."

"You know, that's probably going to get some questions." Just as Twilight realized the context of what she just said, she couldn't help but giggle at the "pun".

Discord smirked that annoyingly triumphant smirk; she figured she would see that a lot.


	4. Chapter 4

If you have been waiting for-fucking-ever for an update and _still_ remain, then you have the patience of a saint and I solute you. *collapses*

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><p>Discord was wary of Twilight's intentions at first. Despite he appeared cheerful as he bounded out of the door in a similar fashion as Pinkie Pie, he inwardly wondered if Twilight was setting him up. While this was rather uncharacteristic of the purple pony, Discord had already been surprised a few times by her.<p>

However her words had a genuine twinge that was easy to realize. If she wanted to set him up, surely she would have done so by now. Twilight certainly had the ability to easily call upon either Celestia or her friends and deal with the draconequus already.

So he pushed the lingering thought to the back of his mind and merrily followed Twilight out of the house. Besides, he figured, his remaining power would be enough to make a quick escape if it was ever necessary.

They made their way toward the center of the little town where, unsurprisingly, Twilight's friends were mo doubt awaiting her arrival. These six ponies seemed to be glued to each other, Discord thought with bemusement. They were quick to notice Twilight's new _companion_ as soon as they came close enough.

"Who's this?" the shy pony asked – Fluttershy, was it? Ah yes, the one turned cruel. Discord smirked to himself with a small sense of accomplishment; how _amusing _it was to see these ponies act so different from their normal, boring selves.

For a moment Discord was poised to announce himself with the usual vigor he took great joy in, but then saw Twilight step up and chime nonchalantly, "Oh this is Dicey. He just arrived here and I agreed to show him around."

Discord had to admit, he was rather impressed: for someone who wasn't fond of lying, Twilight Sparkle had quite the pokerface! And not to mention clever – while the fake name was a little odd (even for him!), it fit well. The other ponies nodded, despite some of them raised their brows at the odd name. Spike, who stood at Twilight's side to avoid being near Discord, snickered without even trying to muffle it.

"Fascinating name," Rarity said with a very slight hint of bemusement. She straightened up and smiled warmly. "We're all delighted to meet you, Dicey. Where did you come from?"

"Canterlot," Twilight replied automatically. "Actually, I had met him a very long time ago – before I even started studying under Celestia!"

Discord nodded. "Canterlot, admittedly, is just plain _boring_ now. So many silly ponies and their silly 'parties'." He made a face of disgust. "They really don't know how to _really_ party."

He noticed Pinkie Pie perk up. "You like parties, too?"

"Incredibly so!" He looked to Twilight. "You were right, dear friend! Ponyville _does_ sound incredibly promising already!"

Twilight smiled, though he noticed the uncertainly in her eyes. She made to move away from the group and hastily said to her filly friends, "Well, thanks for the greeting. I still have much to show Dis – Dicey around." She gestured for Discord to follow.

"Mind if we come?" Applejack asked.

How interesting, Discord thought. He sensed their disappointment easily. Even he had to admit that he scarcely imagined they would warm up to him so soon, despite their ignorance. Well, perhaps their attitudes would change once they saw what he was _really_ capable of, he thought with a mischievous smirk. (Earning Twilight's trust was pivotal, yes, but how could one expect the draconequus to abandon his instincts so readily?)

Twilight froze in place and Spike looked warily between her, Discord and the group of friends. Bring her friends along? So soon? Twilight didn't even know what to expect of Discord in just strolling around the town in general, but with her friends? Twilight may be looking to remedy Discord's habits, but her friends weren't meant to be among the equation until much later!

However, rejecting their invitation would be both rude and suspicious. With a forced smile she replied, "Of course." Spike momentarily looked distraught by her answer, but thankfully didn't protest.

Reluctantly she began trotting again, toward whichever building or landmark they would arrive at first. She looked behind her shoulder and felt her heart skip a bit: Discord had situated himself within her group of friends and chatting away.

Discord noticed the look he got and couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Sure, he was an erratic trouble-maker, but he _had_ made a promise not to try anything that would betray his true identity. And besides, as fun as it was to mess with their friendship, Discord did genuinely enjoy these fillies' company.

Pinkie Pie, of course, was definitely someone to look to if you wanted a real fun time. Her plans of a party that may be taking place within the week did give Discord excitement. Applejack talked about the many different foods that could be created simply out of apples (no surprise there); but who didn't like apples, anyway? _Especially_ apple pie?

Sure, Rarity's obsession with clothing was something to be desired, though her talk of diamonds and other gems admittedly caught his interest. Rainbow Dash bragged about the races she had recently won and even Fluttershy seemed far more open than he would have guessed.

Discord was more than willing to admit they were certainly a significant group of ponies. There was no other reason to take such joy in turning them gray.

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><p>Twilight didn't know if she should be elated or worrisome by the boisterous laughter coming from behind. Obviously her friends were enjoying Discord's company, though was it simply because they didn't even know who they were really talking to? And what would happen if Discord began creating mischief (as significantly smaller as it would be)? Would he be shunned – or <em>worse<em>, discovered for who he truly was?

Everything could turn into a success or a disaster and Twilight just didn't know what she was going to do now! The fact that her friends were so invested in "Dicey" would just make her attempts all the more difficult, as far as she could tell; it would make the knot in her stomach that came whenever she lied grow ever tighter and larger.

Not to mention, even if she _did_ succeed, could Discord really reveal himself and receive positive consequences? After all that had happened during his schemes, could her friends be so forgiving? Twilight wasn't even sure if _she_ could truly forgive Discord.

"Twilight, are you well?" Discord was quick to notice Twilight's worsening expression of inner turmoil.

Before her friends could look to her for some sign that all was not well, Twilight righted herself and she looked back with a wry smile. "I'm fine, silly. I just . . . don't know where we should go. We've been roaming all around and I'm not even giving you that tour I promised."

Immediately Pinkie Pie shot up. "Oh, let's go to the bakery! I gotta go make an order, anyway, and we can show Dicey how wonderful all our sweets are!"

"Splendid!" Discord agreed. "Now that you mention it, I'm quite famished."

It had never even occurred to her that Discord may still need to eat just like every other being in Equestria, Twilight thought guiltily. He may have powers of chaos, but she doubted that made him independent from necessities . . . Or maybe this was just a ploy to lessen any chances of suspicion . . .

Oh, how frustratingly confusing Discord was!

Rather than dwell on the thought any longer, Twilight said, "I apologize for not offering anything at the house, Dicey. I'm sure we can stop by a restaurant after the bakery."

"Why not just the bakery?" he asked. "After all, my first meal here should be something to remember, right? I mean, considering all the praise you gave of every aspect of this town."

Pinkie Pie nodded in approval and then looked pleadingly at Twilight. "Yeah! He's got some good ideas. I can order a couple more things while we're there."

Rarity and Applejack also nodded. "Sounds alright to me," said Rarity. "And then perhaps later on, we can stop by my shop." Suddenly she jumped up and an excited spark reflected in her eyes. "Oh, Dicey, I've rarely ever made many outfits for bucks and I feel the need to give the opposite gender more opportunities for fashion. I know we just met, but it would be _wonderful_ if you could help me!"

She smiled that pleading smile that was difficult to turn away from, much less say no to (especially for Spike, who seemed upset at the moment). Discord looked confused at first and even looked reluctant. Twilight wondered just what he may actually do; he wasn't exactly known for sensitivity, and she doubted rejection was an exception. But to Twilight's surprise he finally answered with a shrug, "I suppose I don't see the harm. As long as I can admire the jewels."

Rarity looked ever grateful as she replied, "That wouldn't be a problem! Thank you, I promise you won't regret it."

Well, that was definitely unexpected. But it also helped to alleviate the challenge Twilight charged herself with. Her friends were already willing to spend their time with this newcomer-in-disguise and had yet to question anything about him that may reveal himself. Perhaps that would come later, but Twilight felt her usual confidence returning as she watched Discord and her friends chat as if they already knew each other well – no matter how close to the truth that was.

As Rarity led the group toward her home, Twilight trailed behind slightly when she noticed Zecora trotting near them. The zebra eyed Discord for a moment as a flash of suspicion crossed her features. Twilight felt her heart skip a beat.

"Hey Zecora!" Twilight exclaimed. Zecora turned her attention to the pony with a pleasant grin. She added, "I'll catch up, guys!" At that Twilight walked up to Zecora. "So, um, how are you doing?"

Zecora didn't answer at first. She studied Twilight for a moment, and then replied levelly, "Although he may pass as a pony at best, the draconequus will only fool the rest."

Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin. "H-How do you know?"

"Many potions have I tried to create so that my appearance takes on a different state. It is not something difficult to recognize when I see such magic before my eyes."

"Oh . . ." Twilight looked down almost in shame. "Please don't tell anyone. Things are going rather well so far."

Zecora was silent again. After much thinking she replied reluctantly, "Very well. I will not tell." Before Twilight could release a breath of relief, Zecora added, "Be forewarned that should he remain concealed, better earlier than later that he may be revealed."

Zecora was right, Twilight thought forlornly. As much as she desired for this façade to continue for however long she determined would be needed to integrate Discord into their town, she still needed to do so soon. If everyone got used to "Dicey" long enough, they may not accept Discord.

But then . . . what was the _point_? Why should Twilight continue trying to pass him off as someone else when the results may just be negative?

Twilight groaned. "Thanks for the advice, Zecora. I've, uh, gotta go now."

The zebra nodded. "Farewell."

Twilight made to dash off back to the group, but then she stopped midway. She turned around and addressed Zecora as she was departing, "Um, can I ask why you used transformation potions?" Twilight was just curious, considering how advanced the magic was.

Zecora stopped and she looked down, abashed. "During the time when all avoided me, I tried to change so that a pony they would see."

"I'm sorry," said Twilight. She felt another pang of guilt like on the day they all went to Zecora's house to accuse her of magic she didn't do. And she'd already been subject to plenty of ostracizing before Twilight even came here; it never occurred to her how Zecora might have felt about that, though. "You're perfect the way you are!"

"Your words are appreciated," Zecora replied genuinely. Then she trotted away.

As Twilight reflected on what she just said, she wondered if making Discord be something else wasn't a mistake as well.


End file.
